July 11 Cybersurf dialup
The dialup information page has been updated with
details on how IStop.com customers can use Cybersurf dialup.
July 5, 2005 - Static IP on-time charge refunds
For a few months in 2004, customers could choose to pay a $50 one-time
charge for a static IP instead of $4/mth. These customers will be refunded
the $50 less $3.60 per month since the one-time payment was made. $3.60
per month is based on the $4 monthly charge discounted by 10%.
July 5, 2005 - Cybersurf FAQ for IStop.com customers
A FAQ is now available that answers many
customer questions about switching to Cybersurf.
June 29 2005 - Cybersurf hotline for IStop.com customers
IStop.com customers needing assistance switching to Cybersurf can
call 1-866-833-4164. IStop.com customers that transfer their account
to Cybersurf will recieve one free month of service. IStop.com will
also refund all customers that have pre-paid for service that has not
been used. IStop.com customers that have paid a deposit for modem rental
can keep the ADSL modem and will no longer be charged a rental fee.
June 29 2005 - Cybersurf account transfer
In order for ADSL customers to maintain line sync, the
account must be transferred to Cybersurf. A web page to
process an account transfer will be available on June 30.
IStop.com customers with a static IP will not loose their
IP assignment by transferring the account.
UPDATE: Cybersurf is placing orders with Bell Wholesale to maintain line
sync for IStop.com customers; it will not be necessary to transfer
your account to maintain a connection. Bell has apparently expedited the
disonnection of IStop.com customers, so some lines have arleady been
cut off. As Bell processes the orders from Cybersurf these lines will
be reconnected.
June 29 2005 - Cybersurf Agreement
IStop.com has made a preliminary agreement to transfer its customer base
to Cybersurf. Cybersurf will take over the ADSL internet access and
web hosting business of IStop.com. Customers will not have to change
their email address and Cybersurf will continue to operate the IStop.com
domain name and brand.
June 6 2005 Accepting new signups again
The Bell Entourage strike has not been resolved. Nevertheless, we have
resumed accepting new signups. Customers in Ontario can expect delays
for ADSL activations while the strike is ongoing. Instead of 4 to 5
business days, installs may take up to 10 business days.
May 4 2005 Non-PPPoE end-of-service
IStop.com will cease providing non-PPPoE service on June 6. The vast
majority of our customers are on a PPPoE service and therefore are not
affected.
April 22 2005 Naked DSL
Naked DSL is DSL service without dialtone on the line. Many customers have
inquired about the availability of naked DSL in the past months.
Unfortunately IStop.com is not able to offer this service, even though Bell
Canada started offering it on March 31. We have filed
an application with the CRTC to resolve this. The Commission is
likely to rule on the application by the end of May.
April 11 2005 Long Distance service
After considering the requirements of offering long-distance calling service
to customers, IStop.com has decided to stay out of the market. Instead we
are recommending the service of Worldline. Worldline offers service in
Ontario and
Quebec,
charging only $3.95/mth for unlimited Canada-wide calling.
IStop.com recieves no benefit from Worldline referrals; we are recommending
the service because we feel it may be beneficial to our customers.
March 23 2005 Business ADSL price reduction
The price for Business 3Mbps ADSL service has been reduced from $44.95 to
$39.95/mth. In the last month, the cost to purchase an ADSL modem has
been reduced to $59. It is our goal to also reduce residential pricing
from by about 10%. However the
CRTC decision on Bell's Tariff Notice 6767D was not favorable.
We continue to work on
Bell Tariff Notice 6622. We recommend customers submit comments
to procedure@crtc.gc.ca requesting the service be placed in the Category
I basket. This would give Bell a 15% profit on the service and would lead
to lower retail prices for customers.
Jan 1 2005 Unlimited uploads
Effective immediately, the cap on ADSL customer upload traffic has been removed. The 30GB peak-time cap remains, but only for download traffic. Torrent users can now leave their files available for longer periods without incurring charges for extra bandwidth use. Customers can now run servers sending hundreds of Gigabytes per month for as little as $29.95 per month. Happy New Year from IStop.com.
Dec 10 2004 Simplified offerings
IStop.com is now offering only PPPoE-based ADSL access.
Virtually all routers now support PPPoE, so the technical benefits of a non-PPPoE internet connection are insignificant. In early 2005, current non-PPPoE ADSL customers will be transferred to another ISP.
This will allow IStop.com to focus resources, streamline our network, and
provide better service to our customer base.
Dec 8 2004 CRTC filing
IStop.com has filed comments on Bell TN6767/D wholesale DSL service with the CRTC.
December 6, 2004
A dispute between IStop.com and Bell Canada led to an interruption
in service last week, which caused difficulties for our customers.
Fortunately, we were able to reach an agreement with Bell to bring us
back online. We have further agreed on a resolution mechanism which
will ensure that our customers need have no worry about further
interruptions. We sincerely regret that our customers were affected by
a matter which was strictly internal to the relationship between
IStop.com and Bell.
Nov 10 2004 Price reductions
The price for extra bandwidth use for ADSL accounts is being reduced from $2/GB to $1.50/GB. The 25GB bandwidth cap on PPPoE accounts will increase to 30GB.
These changes will take effect Nov 12. Additional price reductions are planned in the coming month.
Oct 1 2004 Network Improvements
Uprgrades to the connection between our network and Bell have recently
been completed. We now have 2 fast ethernet (100mbps) to Bell for ADSL
traffic. These are being setup in a load-balanced redundant
configuration. This means that if one of the links fails, customers
will be able to re-establish their PPPoE session through the other link.
Aug 3 2004 - ADSL available on Sprint lines
A Bell phone line is no longer required for ADSL service. Service is now available on Sprint lines. Our availability check by phone number still works only for Bell lines, so for a Sprint line email support with the address where your Sprint line is installed.
Feb 25 2004 - Spam filter improvements
Mail server improvements have been made that will further reduce spam and email viruses. The changes may cause a 30-minute delay receiving some legitimate email.
Feb 14 2004 - 5260 modem price reduction
The price for a refurbished Speedstream 5260 ethernet ADSL modem has been reduced from $89 to $79.
Feb 11 2004 - Speed upgrade details
1.7mbps customers are being upgraded to 3mbps/800kbps, not 3.5mbps as previously thought. Our online availability check indicates when a phone line is not likely to support more than 1.7mbps service. Many customers in the Ottawa area have already been upgraded, and plans by Bell to upgrade all of Ontario & Quebec are on schedule to be completed by the end of March. The upgrade of current 3.5mbps non-PPPoE customers to >4mbps has not yet been scheduled.
Jan 2004 customer update
We are already well into a new year that will see many improvements at
IStop.com. Some prices have been reduced and more price reductions
will follow. Faster connections and higher download limits are coming. Additional bill payment options have been added and customers
can check their bandwidth usage online.
Modem rental fees were reduced in the fall from $6.75 to $6/mth.
Static IPs can now be purchased for $50 one-time instead of the $4/mth
fee. Off-peak time has been increased by 2 hours and is now 0200-1000.
This means PPPoE customers have unlimited uploads and downloads for
one third of the day.
The most significant service improvement is speed upgrades. 1.7M
business and residential customers will have their maximum synch rate
increased to 3.5Mbps download and 800kbps upload at no additional
charge. Customers with long loops that cannot support the higher
speed will not be upgraded. The upgrades will start by the beginning
of February and should be completed by the end of March. Current
3.5M PPPoE customers will see their monthly rate reduced to 1.7M levels.
This means rates for residential 3.5M/PPPoE customers will be reduced
from $49.95 to $34.49 and for business from $75 to $44.95. Current
3.5M non-PPPoE customers will see their maximum synch rate increase
to 4.5Mbps (if their loop can support it) and their bandwidth limit
increased by 50%. The price changes will be put into effect by Jan 28.
Customers can now pay their bill through the online banking service
of TD, CIBC, Royal, and Scotia. Simply search for IStop.com and
enter the account number indicated on your invoice. We prefer
customers pay by cheque or online banking instead of credit card,
as the fees charged by banks for credit card processing can exceed
3%. To offset these fees IStop.com is considering a 2% surcharge
for credit card payments.
PPPoE customers can now check their bandwidth usage online instead of
having to track it on their own. http://usage.istop.com/
Report any problems with the usage page to support.
Sept. 28 - New services and lower prices
IStop.com has introduced 2 new services and reduced pricing on others.
Residential 3.5M/800K unlimited non-PPPoE is $129/mth and for business the
price is $169/mth. There is no limit on the monthly download or upload
traffic for both services. Installation/activation is $229, but for the
last few days of September the price is only $29. Our residential
3.5M/800K non-PPPoE service with a 40GB monthly traffic cap is now $69/mth
and the business service with a 60GB monthly cap is now $99/mth.
All new non-PPPoE ADSL customers this year have been connected directly to
our Toronto POP at 151 Front St. The new lower price will be effective on
the next billing cycle. Old customers that are connected to our Ottawa
POP can get the lower monthly price by requesting their connection be
changed to the Toronto POP. This will involve an IP change and the
activation fee will also apply. Email support@istop.com for futher details
or to request the change.
Blackout information
The blackout had a rather significant impact on IStop.com compared to
many other ISPs. Network equipment is located in Ottawa, Toronto, and
Manhattan; all cities were affected by the blackout. The Ottawa
facilities are low-cost with minimal backup power. The Toronto and
Manhattan facilities are in class-A datacenter space rented from
RACO - www.racogroup.net. Despite the advertisement of reliable
backup power systems, power was lost in the Toronto facility for over
and hour and in Manhattan for half a day.
Plans are underway to relocate to more reliable facilities in Manhattan,
and possibly in Toronto as well. In Ottawa a couple aging UPSes will
be replaced, and changes will be made to reduce the amount of human
intervention required to reactivate services after a power outage.
Nov 4, 2002 - IStop.com and RegisterYour.ca
IStop.com has formed an alliance with RegisterYour.ca for domain registration services. Details are in our customer announcement.
July 2, 2002 - IStop.com protects customer privacy
Istop.com does not sell or give out private customer information to any third party. This includes home address, phone number, and any information about a customer's surfing habits. Customer credit information (non-payment of accounts) is not considered private. To keep credit information private would limit our ability to sue non-paying customers as such lawsuits are of public record.
Unlike some companies, we take customer privacy seriously, as this email shows.
